Campbell Sister Rivalry: Cate And Bronte Spill What It's Like To Swim Against Each Other

Our favourite Aussie sister duo, Cate and Bronte Campbell are actually pretty different outside the pool and maybe that’s the secret to their special bond. “You think there would be a horrible rivalry, and from the outside it should seem strange, but it’s really quite nice when we’re in the pool together.”

To help launch Nestle’s GoodLife Quiz, Aussie Olympians Cate & Bronte Campbell, sat down with Women’s Health to chat about what a "good life" means to them:

Cate: I think I had a brief stint of wanting to be a ballerina, but then I realised you have to be able to touch your toes and then that dream faded very quickly!

Bronte: I think I actually always did want to be a swimmer, from when I was about seven and I watched the Olympic Games and I thought: “Yes, that’s exactly what I want to be”.

Cate: Yeah and I just copied my little sister pretty much.

What’s it like when you have to compete against one another? Does it get easier over time?

Bronte: It’s interesting, I actually really like it. You think there would be a horrible rivalry, and from the outside it should seem strange, but it’s really quite nice when we’re in the pool together. Mostly because there’s someone else in the water that you want to do well, and if I’m going to be beaten I would rather it be someone that I love, so it does work quite well for us.

Tell us what it is like to be as close as you both are as sisters?

Cate: Bronte is pretty incredible. I do have other sisters so I don’t want to disregard them! But to be able to share everything that Bronte and I do – in and out of the pool, is a pretty amazing experience. I really wouldn’t have picked anyone else to go through this journey with.

Bronte: Yeah I love it – I’ve been swimming with Cate ever since we were young kids, and we always wanted to do this together. We always spoke about it together. To actually have achieved it together is amazing, we are very fortunate that it ended up working out for us.

Are you and quite similar in personality or would you say you are complete opposites?

Bronte: I wouldn’t say we are polar opposites but we are definitely not similar. I think when you are the younger sister you are normally, possibly more annoying and the older sister is more patient! It’s just naturally how it works.

Cate: Mine would probably start quite early, I’d get up for a sunrise and climb a mountain. Then I would climb down quite quickly in order to have a yummy breakfast and a great coffee! I’d then have a swim at the beach, followed by a delicious lunch, a nap (or two!), and then dinner and a movie. So really lots of good food and being outdoors.

Bronte: I actually love sleeping in, so I’d have a good sleep in and chill out with a lazy breakfast and coffee, have a catch up with some friends, get outdoors. It’s so beautiful in Australia and just hang with good food and company. When I’m not training or in the pool I can be a bit of a sloth!

What can you tell us about yourself that not many people know OR that may surprise people?

Cate: Bronte writes poetry. She’s really good at it actually – before every competition, she always writes a poem and reads it out to the team as motivation. It’s really quite amazing.

Bronte: And Cate brews her own Kombucha which is also pretty cool!

What are you both currently aspiring to achieve?

Cate: In the pool I am currently working towards the Commonwealth Games next year. They are on the Gold Coast and I can’t wait to swim in front of a home crowd. Outside of the pool I am looking at slowly finishing of my Media and Communications degree and doing some renovations on my house.

Bronte: We’re both aiming to qualify and compete and the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast. It’d be amazing to have the home crowd advantage and have all friends and family there in the crowd.

What are your daily rituals when it comes to health, mind and body?

Cate: I like to try and give myself 20 minutes a day where I can sit down with a hot drink (coffee if it’s in the morning, or decaffeinated coffee if it’s at night). I have started doing the crossword in the newspaper and I try to stay off my phone and all electronic devices for those 20 minutes. I often find that I feel refreshed and recharged, it also gives my brain a work out because I am terrible at crosswords!

Bronte: I like taking a few minutes sometime during the day just to sit quietly without my phone or music. It helps me order my thoughts, I’m normally quite disorganised and it helps me remember what I’m supposed to be doing.

Cate & Bronte Campbell are Olympic Swimmers and Uncle Tobys Ambassadors and recently got involved with Nestle for the launch of its GoodLife Quiz. The Quiz is designed to take the pulse of the nation’s wellbeing and understand what a good life means and how to achieve much sought-after balance in a 24/7 connected world. Visit https://www.nestlegoodlife.com.au to take the quiz and for your chance to win $10,000 to create your ultimate GoodLife holiday.